Well, tonight I present the first AAR for
Battlegroup Kursk, the work of Warwick Kinrade with a little help from me and heavily tested to destruction by the GMG. From our point of view, the development has reached a point where its become a new game in its own right and one that plays very well. For those who have played and enjoyed KGN, you will feel perfectly at home with BGK... But there is lots of new things to discover and enjoy. While it owes its lineage to KGN its a new game. Its been a long road, and alot of hardwork from Warwick, but the results are worth it. Still some work to do on it, but the game mechanics are done.
Tonights game was a 600 point affair. We used the German Armoured list up against the Soviet Armoured list and we used the old Escalation scenario from KGN as its been our favoured test scenario.
600 Point German Battlegroup - Sniper with Spotter, Two Panzergrenadier Platoons, Panzer IV Squadron, Ferdinand, two sMG34s and a Forward HQ in a Panzer III, supported by two Scheduled 150mm Artillery Barrages
600 Point Russian Battlegroup - T-70 Recce Tank, Two Infantry Platoons, T-34 Tank Company, Communications Truck, 82mm Mortar Battery and Forward HQ
The engagement started with only recce units on the table, and the Russians quickly rushed forward to pinch a few objectives causing the Germans to take some early chits. Both sides then brought on tanks as their vanguards and while the Russians rushed up the road, the Germans swung out onto one of the flanks. Little else happened and then main forces began to arrive on table. One of the first German units to arrive was the Ferdinand that parked on the board edge and sent a couple of very long range rounds down the road at the leading T-34. Both rounds missed but the Russians quickly raced their tanks off the road out of the way, sheltering in the dead ground behind the church and the woods.
More units continued to arrive, including a logistics supply truck that brought up the ammo for the Ferdinand. This was promptly the subject of a fairly ineffective mortar barrage, and although pinned the German commander quickly got the supply unit motivated again and got them to work. Once more the Ferdinand let off its rounds and watched them sail past a T-34. On the other flank the Panzer IVs set themselves up in ambush around the ruined brick house and waited for the enemy.
With large amounts of Russians making their way over the table it looked promising for them. Well it did till the whistle of approaching enemy shells arrived. The German scheduled artillery slammed into the cornfield, with two rounds getting direct hits on two T-34s and the 150mm HE rounds took both out as the infantry dived for cover and were pinned down. Then on the other side another barrage fell onto the gap between the fields and the woods but only caught one T-34. This took a horrific three direct hits and it too was soon burning. As the smoke and dust cleared the Russians picked themselves up and came forward.
The first T-34 nosed around the woods towards the brick house and promptly went up in flames as the Panzer IV lurking in ambush knocked it out, but two more T-34s raced forward and ended the Panzer IVs promising career. however the Russian tanks found themselves without their supporting infantry and had to hold back waiting for support. Meanwhile the lumbering Ferdinand drove off to the flank and tried to get into a position to fire, but by the time it got their the T-34s had sped off to hide once more. As the Ferdinand lumbered back to try and find a target it promptly drove over a mine and was so badly damaged its crew abandoned it. Not so much a Ferdinand but a big White Elephant!
A tank battle now developed with two Panzer IVs facing off five T-34s. Things didnt look good and as the T-34s waited for their infantry a tank duel developed. While one Panzer IV took out the T-70 and survived to despatch another T-34, the Panzer IV leader got into a fight with three T-34s. Despite a duel that lasted for an eternity he somehow managed to survive the battering of fire as rounds either missed or bounced off. He managed to despatch another T-34 until the other remaining Panzer IV came to his support as German infantry flooded into the church to set up a base of fire around their MG34 teams.
As the Russian infantry finally arrived they tried to cover their assault with mortar fire but it proved very ineffective. With the German infantry lining the walls of the churchyard they were mown down as they tried to storm forward en masse to close the range and assault the church. It was to no avail and soon the corpses of Russian soldiers lay like cut corn. On the other flank the Russians tried to assault the village but the Germans were dug-in along the walls and in the buildings and once more cut the Russians down as they came in but took some casualties from the Soviet return of fire.
Finally the last remaining Russian T-34 crew abandoned their tank after it was hit and headed for the hills... The infantry then tried to assault the church from two sides but were caught in a three pronged crossfire by troops on one flank in the brick house, the defenders of the church in the centre and a gaggle of
MG teams in the village. This three way crossfire tore the Russians to shreds and although they took some of the Germans out the assault crumbled. As it did, so did the Russian morale and they withdrew leaving all their tanks wrecke don the battlefield and many dead and dying soldiers. For the Germans casualties were light among the infantry, having all taken cover in or around the buildings but the loss of the loss of the Ferdinand without it doing anything was a blow to the German morale. However, the Germans had won a convincing victory and held the field.
The Russians did nothing wrong in this game and really suffered just from dreadful dice rolls while the German luck was with them. They just couldnt kill the Panzer IV leader and this hold up allowed the Germans to get their defence line dug in and ready for the Russian infantry. Once they finally arrived the T-34s were all burning and they could do little but try and take the fight close to the enemy. Sadly for them the German position, with interlocking fire from both flanks to support the centre was too tough a nut to crack. A very exciting game, and had the Russian had just average luck it would have been totally different.
Kampfgruppe Normandy may be dead... But long live
Battlegroup Kursk!
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